


After Teatime on wet glass

by thechestofsilver



Series: Raffles Week 2018 [2]
Category: Raffles - E. W. Hornung
Genre: Afternoon Tea, Established Relationship, Ham Common (Raffles), M/M, Raffles is being flirty, Summer, Summer Rain, impressionism, raffles week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 13:24:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13976040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thechestofsilver/pseuds/thechestofsilver
Summary: Raffles and Bunny contemplate on what to do on a rainy afternoon.





	After Teatime on wet glass

**Author's Note:**

> For Raffles week day 6 - Domesticity

Summer is full of surprises, and this afternoon it came in the form of a mighty rainfall that thundered on the roof of our little cottage and mercilessly bashed the poor flowers in the garden with heavy drops. I was by the window in an instant; but the old hinges where stuck and I found myself unable to close it. The next moment Raffles was by my side, and with our joint force the window soon slammed shut.

“Where did that come from?” I said, a tad out of breath. Then I remembered our dear landlady who had left for the city only fifteen minutes ago. “Oh, I hope she got on the train already!”

“The train leaves at 2:48, she should be alright,” Raffles said assuredly.

The rain had made his white shirt speckled and pearls of water were running down his nose and forehead. I suppose I must have looked the same, for he laughed and gently stroke his long fingers over my cheek before returning to the table where our tea was left half finished. While I grabbed a cloth to wipe the floor below the window, he poured the last of the tea into our cups, and then handed me a piece of cake as I joined him. I broke it in two and handed back the one; and then we sat in comfortable silence, listening to the hammering of rain on the windowpane, through which the view of the blossoming landscape quickly had turned into a Renoir. Raffles put his leg against mine under the table, lazily stroking up and down, and now and again casting me a smile from behind his tea cup.

“I suppose we can’t go down to the river today after all,” I said at length. “Unless it clears up soon.”

“We’ll do it tomorrow,” he replied airily. “Or the day after that.”

He idly leaned across the table and lay his hand on my arm; then, slowly, he turned my palm up. I smiled as he began to explore my skin with his fingertips, from my wrist to the crease of my elbow and back again.

“I don’t mind staying in today,” he said at last and closed his hand around my arm. “Why don’t you keep reading that novel to me?”

“Really? You fell asleep last time.”

“I’ll give it another go.”

Sceptically raising my brows, I met his eyes, ever so innocent and blue; I hinted a smile at the corner of his mouth, and watched it grow as I silently challenged him. At last it turned into a laugh and, letting go of my arm, he rose from the chair and stretched before giving me a contemplating look.

“Now?” I said, amused.

“Well,” he said slowly, as if making up his mind.

Then a wicked glimpse lit up his eye, and with a smile to go with it he walked towards me. Before I knew it, his hands were in my hair, and his face inches from mine. My heart gave a thrill as he gently stroke my temples, gaze softening; and then he was kissing me tenderly, intensely, and my mind turned as blurry as that windowpane.

“What do you say?” he breathed when he finally pulled away; his voice was rougher than before. I cleared my own throat a little before replying, catching my breath.

“I say we can read that novel tonight… when we’re not alone,” I managed to say.

He smiled as he dragged me to my feet, and then we let the rain paint on the canvas of an empty room.  


End file.
